Makeup Wars $20 Makeup Challenge

It’s time for another Makeup Wars Challenge! This time, we’re doing a $20 dollar (or less) face! I put together my face based off of items I purchased, or could theoretically purchase.

I used Nyx Pin-Up Curl Mascara ($5.99) Nyx retractable black liner ($3, purchased the Nyx items as BOGO 50% from Ulta), TickTock Infinity Milky Way Primer ($3, on sale), Meow Pampered Puss Inquisitive Siamese foundation sample ($1, I have full size but a sample is a dollar), Meow Heliconia blush sample ($1, I have full size but a sample is a dollar), Fyrinnae mini jar of Shenanigans ($2, I have full size but a mini is 2 dollars), BftE mini jar in Glistening ($2, and I’ve purchased a full size too, love this so much) and Evil Shades Lipstick sample in Dark Princess ($1.75 for the sample, though I have the full size). My total is $19.74.

Now, these are just the colors I chose, there are many options available.

BftE has over 400 eyeshadows.
I’m not sure how many eyeshadows Fyrinnae has, but they have a lot of gorgeous and complex shades.Evil Shades is constantly adding new lipsticks and lipglosses.Tick:Tock Cosmetics has many colors, too.

Be sure to check out everyone else involved in the Makeup Wars Challenge! This was so much fun

That eye shadow is gorgeous!!! You were smart using samples! That way you didn’t have to sacrifice quality (at all!). Your FOTD looks just as lovely as all of the ones you post on here…and for only $20.00! Awesome!!!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@pammyblogbeauty Aww thank you!

Marcia beauty info zone

Your eyes look gorgeous as usual. I love how you use pigments. Shipping is a factor though with them. How was the mascara? It looks good, did you like it?

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@Marcia beauty info zone I like it, but I prefer to use it with a lash primer. I just didn’t for this because I couldn’t afford it 😛

blauriche

Easily the best one I’ve seen so far. Way to hit it out of the park!

blauriche

Ulta’s great because you can pretty much stock up on BOGO NYX products and have enough left over for 99 cent nail polish. Of course, at Sephora, in an emergency, you could buy an eyeliner and some eyeshadow from the clearance bin and load up on free samples of everything else. Every time I see one of these I think about what I’d use and only get as far as NYX HD foundation. It might be a fun exercise to try.

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@blauriche Thanks! Yeah I like Nyx, and mascara is hard for me because of allergies, so I made that my ‘big ticket’ item.

15minbeauty

Yeah, this is definitely the best one! I had gone at it from the point of view that I had to run into a store and grab stuff, but if I had really wanted to just get the most I could out of $20 I would have done some of the samples as well. I’m going to order some of the stuff you mentioned here, especially that foundation!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@15minbeauty I can’t wait to hear what you think about the foundation

PinkSith

I knew your $20 face was going to be awesome! Of course when samples are involved you have a lot more options. You look stunning and Love how you did your eyes!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@PinkSith Yay thank you! They were my favorite part

http://projectswatch.blogspot.com/ Emi at Project Swatch

This is a GORGEOUS look – I love, love, love the eye!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@Emi at Project Swatch Thanks! I love Shenanigans

BeautyBlogger

You are so creative. I love your choices and how you stayed away from the “norm”. It’s so fun to hear about new products. You eyes look great!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@BeautyBlogger Thank you!

CarleenPruessCoulter

That eye look is awesome!!!! Great job!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@CarleenPruessCoulter Yay thank you! I love eyeshadows that work like that

Beauty411

So much fun to see what everyone bought with their $20! I’d never guess that your overall look, esp. the eyes, was so inexpensive. Good job!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@Beauty411 Indie eyeshadows are so amazing Thank you!

perilouslypale

What a great look! You’ve done exactly what I would have done by using all the samples! I certainly don’t think I could achieve a $20 with any full size products I own!

@RiffRaffRanch The eye primer is nice. After about 8 hours I end up seeing fading/wear, so it doesn’t replace TFSI for me, but I am really glad I gave it a try.

http://polishfollies.blogspot.com/ ShelliZink

I *love* this challenge! I think it’s really cool how you managed to show in one go how you can do either a conservative or a loud and proud look for under $20.

I have a side question I’m hoping you might be willing to give some input on. I’d like to take my pre-teen daughter for a consult as kind of an intro to make-up, get her colors done, buy her some basics to play with before she gets to an age where she’s wearing it out. I was originally planning to have a consult come to her sleepover party and make a big thing of it, but there have been some disruptions to that plan. I’m new to the 21st century beauty world (until a month ago, I quite literally was wearing mostly make-up left from the 90s) and don’t know who does the whole deal in-store anymore (I remember my mother getting full consults at Merle Norman in the 80s, but I’ve never been to a counter that wasn’t in a department store myself). Now I feel like I’ve babbled on too much. The question was supposed to be, “Can you suggest somewhere to take my pre-teen for a “makeover”/color consult for her birthday?”

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@ShelliZink Wow, that’s a really good question. What a wonderful gift for your daughter! I think if it were me, I would probably look for makeup artist / bloggers in your area that you like their style and see if they would come do a consult.

If you don’t like that idea, what about taking her to your favorite department store makeup counter? You can book an appointment for what you’re wanting to get for her. I’m not sure if Sephora does this, but I know that you can get it done at Macy’s / Nordstrom’s / Neiman Marcus etc.

I also just read a book called “Make-Up Manual” by Pat Henshaw and Audrey Hannah. The thing I liked specifically in there book was the talk about identifying personal color – undertones (warm or cool), depth (light or deep), clarity (soft or clear).

http://polishfollies.blogspot.com/ ShelliZink

@Phyrra Thanks so much! We decided on Sephora, I can’t wait to have fun little girls day with her. I’ll have to check out that book, my husband is choking at my request for a full PCA with a consultant, maybe a book is a good compromise 😀

blushingnoir

this is the most gorgeous eye ball EVER

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@blushingnoir LOL! Thank you

http://www.geniabeme.com/ geniabeme

Your $20 look looks amazing!! I love the eye colors!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@geniabeme Yay thank you <3

PrimeBeauty50

Love your eyes! This challenge was way more difficult than I imagined!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@PrimeBeauty50 It was so much fun though

Quinctia

This would be so difficult to do with my stash! I’m saying that as someone who loves a whole bunch of drugstore products. But any Physician’s Formula face powder (which, compared across the full spectrum of makeup brands, are quite affordable) would be over half the budget.

It’s interesting the gamut of indie samples you used here. I don’t know if I could ever bring myself to put on a Fyrinnae shadow without any pixie epoxy, though!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@Quinctia I love Fyrinnae with and without pixie epoxy

http://www.minaslater.com/ Mina Slater

You created such a gorgeous look with only $20! I especially love the colors you chose for your eye shadow, they make your beautiful eyes look even more amazing…so love your eyes!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@Mina Slater Thanks Mina

WendiThroatPunchGirven

Wow! Shenanigans looks so awesome on you! I love this idea!

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@WendiThroatPunchGirven Aww thanks

sarahmaye

God I love the eyes so much! Those colors-I will buy! It makes me think Steampunk lol

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@sarahmaye Aww thank you

Sandy615

Wow, Phyrra; this is a gorgeous look for you. I meant to comment and let you know that I love the new hair, also. By the way, I’ve recently received my first order of samples from MEOW (thanks to your review). I think I’m too nervous to try them because I really don’t know how to work with them, even tho I also have a Minerals Mate. We’ll see. Anyway, you look absolutely beautiful.

http://www.Phyrra.net/ Phyrra

@Sandy615 Try one color at a time, if it helps And thank you! I love the hair color.

Sandy615

@Phyrra Great idea, thank you! I should have known to ask you how to do it!

CreativelyYours

That eye is EVERYTHING Phyrra, beautiful! I’m glad to see this challenge, let’s people know that they don’t have to spend crazy amounts of money to look great. Thanks for sharing

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Hi, I'm Courtney. I'm a writer, a blogger and a beauty addict. I'm a beauty, style and entertainment influencer. My blog Phyrra is updated daily and I do videos at least twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays.
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